A very accessible rogue-like with enough depth, strategy and personality to stand above most of the rest. The simple graphics and combat of Dungeons of Dredmor obscure its incredible depth of design, functional mechanics and polishing, and it really is a fully fleshed out title. My fun in Dungeons of Dredmor comes from battling through hoards of monsters while interacting with the world, using traps, spells, crafting and more, all while exploring ever deeper.

Highlights

There are plenty of little things that help this stand out and help to make it something more than most rogue-likes, but the central design philosophy of accessability and the respect it has for the classic elements that make rogue-like games so fun that make it very much worth my time and keep me coming back.

A plethora of additions and extra gameplay elements like crafting and landmines which would easily become an annoying chore or distraction in other games has been made completely optional and ignorable here, yet still adds lots of practicality to the game when you spend the time.

* The attention to enabling and supporting Steam Workshop content definitely deserves comment. It's been woven into the game perfectly and means sharing rooms, items, monsters and even things like insults and decorations is rewarding.* The humour deserves mention. There are references to movies, old video games and culture not just spread throughout the world, but even in the U.I. and elsewhere.

Mistakes and Annoyances

It has been genuinely quite hard to find something to dislike about this game and the only things that are worth pointing out haven't really affected the fun I've had with this title, but they're here in the interest of a complete

review. The main drawback or limitation of the game is in the simple and, some would argue, boring combat. Fighting thousands of monsters in the same way, typically using the same specific skills and abilities can wear thin and unless you're willing to make some form of goal and targets, or story for yourself, reasons for playing can easily feel empty and flat.

* The tutorial is quick and simple, but also very lacking. There are a ton of gameplay elements and user interface mechanics that aren't covered anywhere and usually have to be searched for to learn about, or will simply be discovered by chance.* Dredmor, the end-game boss can feel out of place and the ending can feel abrupt for some.

Recommendations

Presently available on Steam for £3.49/4.99€/$4.99 and with no real limit in replay value, Dungeons of Dredmor will take around 20 to 30 hours to complete a successful run, but reaching that run may take you 100 hours or more. As a

result, it's very fairly priced and good value for money even when not on sale, yet routinely goes on sale for -50% and -75% and is a must buy for anyone looking for an approachable rogue like.

The Complete version costs just 30% more, is available for £4.99/5.99€/$6.99. It is almost exclusively the better choice over the stand alone because it adds Conquest of the Wizardlands and the Realm of the Diggle Gods DLCs which add a total of 12 new Skill Trees, hundreds of new items, dungeon levels, monsters and mini-bosses and plenty more. Unless you don't expect to play more than a few hours or you're on a strict budget then there's no obvious reason not to grab the Complete pack.

Dungeons of Dredmor is the Lighthearted Roguelike for people who love Lighthearted Roguelikes. The loot flows like waterfalls, and about 50-60% of the things you find you'll have no use for. The dungeon layouts are random, but always feel just varied enough between floors that it doesn't get stale, and the sheer amount of content, even without Steam Workshop, is a sight to behold considering the $5 pricetag.

The UI can be unintuitive sometimes, and the Autosave function can really mess with the flow of gameplay, but it's a solid buy for anyone who wants to kill some time, have a few laughs and occasionally go "I understood that reference!"

In all seriousness, despite my relatively short play time (Just over an hour). I can definetly see the appeal of this game, although somewhat "lack luster" in it's hand drawn art style (which i personally find very endearing but some may not). the game is a turn based, tile by tile "rogue like", rpg, dungeon crawler. With a few refrences to boot - I have a trait called "Witcher" and i quote "Going by the name "White eyebrows" you travel the world killing monsters for good, and making witty and sarcastic comments about various social endeavors -, the game unlike most rogue liek rpgs does not by any means take itself seriously, humour riddles the sprawling floors of the dungeons, with the various enemies insulting you and making genric comments about various aspects of you, the dungeons facilities (Quote - "The vodka is good, but the steak is stale" ).But like most games in the rogue liek genre, it turns into a loot rush as you scurry to gather gear all the while avoiding what would be considered tier 1 mobs and very easy fights due to the sheer squishiness that you character can suffer if the right traits aren't picked.

All in all... "The vodka's good, but the steak is stale". The game is characterful, but the genres it's in is bloated and stale dragging this gem down with it.

Before playing this I have never played anything like it. which made it very exciting to play for me. Even if this game doesnt look like you're type of game. You may be mistaken. It's cheap and there is a lot of content.

DoD is a roguelike dungeon-crawler with some RPG elements. It's quite simplistic: turn-based movement and combat, with procesdurally generated rooms, monsters, and loot. You are given a choice of seven skills when you create your character, which have different abilities and powers as you level them up. Simplistic yet fun.

Graphics

7/10

You're not going to find anything fancy here, but Dredmor has it's own unique art style.

Story/Quests

5/10

Evil lich Dredmor was captured, evil lich Dredmor is breaking free. So the kingdom needs a hero. Unfortunately, this is you. You can pray to the Goddess of Sidequests to get sidequests, but they can be really annoying and difficult.

Overview

8.5/10

DoD is an enjoyable roguelike. While it does suffer from a few minor bugs, and setting up mods without the game breaking can be long and tedious, it is worth it for the sheer amount of gameplay, as well as the DLC.